Collapsible sawhorse structure

ABSTRACT

A collapsible sawhorse structure is presented including a pair of legs connected to each other in such a manner that, in a collapsed condition, the legs lie close together and substantially parallel with a short fulcrum support bar pivotally connected near the tops of the two legs and with a toggle comprising two collapsible links individually pivoted one to each leg near the bottom thereof, and with sharp biting projections facing inwardly of the upper ends of the legs above the fulcrum support bar, so that a wooden stringer may be placed with its opposite ends respectively between the spread upper ends of two of the pairs of legs spaced along the stringer while the lower portion of the legs are at least partially collapsed, and then the lower portions of the legs are spread about the fulcrum pivot pins of the support bar until the toggle is spread to the position where the toggle breaks slightly downwardly, thus causing the biting projections to bite into the wooden stringer to firmly fix the connection of each pair of legs to the stringer.

United States Patent 11 1 Telban June 3, 1975 1 1 COLLAPSIBLE SAWHORSESTRUCTURE [76] Inventor: Stanley H. Telban, 682 Meadowland Dr., RichmondHeights, Ohio 44143 221 Filed: June 10, 1974 21 Appl. No.: 477,591

Primary ExaminerReinaldo P. Machado Attorney, Agent, or FirmBa1dwin.Egan, Walling & Fetzer [57] ABSTRACT A collapsible sawhorse structure ispresented including a pair of legs connected to each other in such amanner that. in a collapsed condition. the legs lie close together andsubstantially parallel with a short fulcrum support bar pivotallyconnected near the tops of the two legs and with a toggle comprising twocollapsible links individually pivoted one to each leg near the bottomthereof, and with sharp biting projections facing inwardly of the upperends of the legs above the fulcrum support bar, so that a woodenstringer may be placed with its opposite ends respectively between thespread upper ends of two of the pairs of legs spaced along the stringerwhile the lower portion of the legs are at least partially collapsed,and then the lower portions of the legs are spread about the fulcrumpivot pins of the support bar until the toggle is spread to the positionwhere the toggle breaks slightly downwardly, thus causing the bitingprojections to bite into the wooden stringer to firmly fix theconnection of each pair of legs to the stringer.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures COLLAPSIBLE SAWHORSE STRUCTURE An object ofthe present invention is to provide a collapsible sawhorse supportstructure wherein two of such structures may be applied to a woodenstringer, spaced therealong, and each collapsible structure comprising apair of rigid legs which are moved from at least a partially opencondition to a substantially closed condition causing the upper ends ofthe pairs of legs to bite into the stringer in such a manner as tofirmly embed each pair of legs firmly in the stringer, thus causing avery strong, hard-to-collapse sawhorse structure.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the accompanying specification and drawings and the essentialfeatures thereofwill be set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken along the line l1 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing two of the devices of FIG. 1attached to a wooden sawhorse stringer; while FIG. 3 is a sideelevational view, partially in section, showing how the device of FIGS.1 and 2 may be adapted to rest on an uneven surface such as a stairway.

As shown in the drawings, the sawhorse supporting structure comprisestwo or more pairs of linear rigid legs 10, which are permanently pivotedtogether on a short rigid fulcrum support bar 11 which is pivotallyconnected to each of the legs 10, near the upper end thereof by pivotpins 12. These pins are equally spaced from the upper ends of the twolegs. A locking toggle 13 comprises two rigid links 130 of equal length,having their inner ends pivotally connected by a pin at 14, and havingtheir outer ends each pivoted to its associated leg by pin nearer thelower end of the legs and spaced equally from the bottom ends of twolegs 10.

Means is provided limiting the swinging of the legs in a direction tospread the legs about the fulcrum pivot pins 12 to a position where thetoggle breaks slightly downwardly as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. In thisembodiment, this means comprises a cut-away structure at 1311 whichpermits the toggle to be turned upwardly about the pivots 14 and 15 whenthe leg structure is collapsed or partially collapsed. Then, when thetoggle is bent upwardly in the direction of the arrow A indicated inFIG. I, the points 130 of each leg 13a strikes against the horizontallyextending flange 10a of each of the legs 10 to limit the motion of thetoggle to the position shown in the drawings. The partially collapsedcondition of the legs 10 and of the toggle 13 is indicated by thedot-dash lines in FIG. I.

A series of sharp, saw tooth shape, biting projections 16 are providedfacing inwardly on the upper ends of each leg 10 above the fulcrumsupport bar 11 and these are here shown as being integrally formed onthe vertically extending flange 1011 of each leg 10. It is obvious thatwhen the legs are in a partially collapsed position. as indicated indot-dash lines in FIG. I. then the biting projections 16 are separatedfrom each other sufficiently. by oscillations about the pivots 12, sothat a wooden stringer I7 may he placed between them. preferably restingupon the horizontal flange llu of the fulcrum support bar II. Then. theoperator moves the toggle 13 from the dot-dash position of FIG. Idownwardly to the full line position of FIG. I where the toggle breakspartially downwardly from a horizontal posi- 2 tion until points 131'rest against the flange 10a of each leg 10. thus forcing the bitingprojections 16 to embed themselves into the wood of the stringer 17. Inthis position of the parts, the uppermost end of the flange 10a, asindicated at I012. preferably rest tightly against the stringer 17.

When two of the support structures of FIG. I are so fastened into astringer 17, as seen in FIG. 2, then the completed sawhorse is verystrong and will resist the weight of a heavy man kneeling in the centerof the stringer 17 and pushing his weight backward and forward in anydirection.

The above described device can be modified to support a plank such asshown at 18in FIG. 3 on an uneven surface, such as a set of stair steps.To this end, holes 19 may be provided through the flange 10b of the legs10 and an auxiliary leg portion 20 may be bolted on the leg 10' as seenin FIG. 3 by bolts 21, the auxiliary leg 20 being preferably astructural angle to nest closely to the structural angles 10. This makesthe righthand leg longer in FIG. 3 so as to support the plank 18 at adesired level position.

Obviously, if two sawhorses were utilized to support the top of a table.and it were desired to place the table at a higher level than the use ofthe sawhorse as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, then the auxiliary legs 20 mightbe attached to each of the legs 10' in FIG. 3 so as to elevate thestringer 17 to a higher level.

What is claimed is:

I. A collapsible sawhorse structure comprising a pair of linear rigidlegs, as a fulcrum support a short rigid bar, pivot pins joiningopposite ends of said bar to each of said legs near the top and spacedequally from the upper ends thereof, a locking toggle located betweensaid legs and having two right links of equal length, a pivot connectingthe inner ends of said links, a pivot connecting the outer end of eachlink to its associated leg more than half-way down each leg, said lastnamed pivots being equally spaced from the bottoms of said legs, meanslimiting the swinging of said links in a direction to spread said legsabout said fulcrum pivot pins to a position where said toggle breaksslightly downwardly, each of said legs being a structural metal anglehaving a first leg extending at right angles to an associated stringerand a second leg extending parallel to said stringer, said pivot pinconnections to said legs passing through said first leg. and a series ofsharp saw tooth shape biting projections facing inwardly on the upperends of said first legs above said fulcrum support bar so positionedthat, when they have well entered into a stringer. the uppermost end ofsaid second leg firmly engages said stringer and braces an assembledsawhorse against stress endwise of said stringer, said projectionsembedded in said stringer providing the sole connection between saidlegs and said stringer, whereby a wooden stringer may be placed with itsopposite ends respectively between the spread upper ends of two of saidpairs of legs spaced along said stringer while the lower portions ofsaid legs below said but are at least partially collapsed, then saidlower portions of said legs may be spread about said fulcrum pivot pinsuntil said toggles break slightly downwardly thus causing said bitingprojection to bite into said wooden stringer to firmly fix theconnections of each of said pairs of legs to said stringer. stringer.

1. A collapsible sawhorse structure comprising a pair of linear rigidlegs, as a fulcrum support a short rigid bar, pivot pins joiningopposite ends of said bar to each of said legs near the top and spacedequally from the upper ends thereof, a locking toggle located betweensaid legs and having two right links of equal length, a pivot connectingthe inner ends of said links, a pivot connecting the outer end of eachlink to its associated leg more than half-way down each leg, said lastnamed pivots being equally spaced from the bottoms of said legs, meanslimiting the swinging of said links in a direction to spread said legsabout said fulcrum pivot pins to a position where said toggle breaksslightly downwardly, each of said legs being a structural metal anglehaving a first leg extending at right angles to an associated stringerand a second leg extending parallel to said stringer, said pivot pinconnections to said legs passing through said first leg, and a series ofsharp saw tooth shape biting projections facing inwardly on the upperends of said first legs above said fulcrum support bar so positionedthat, when they have well entered into a stringer, the uppermost end ofsaid second leg firmly engages said stringer and braces an assembledsawhorse against stress endwise of said stringer, said projectionsembedded in said stringer providing the sole connection between saIdlegs and said stringer, whereby a wooden stringer may be placed with itsopposite ends respectively between the spread upper ends of two of saidpairs of legs spaced along said stringer while the lower portions ofsaid legs below said bar are at least partially collapsed, then saidlower portions of said legs may be spread about said fulcrum pivot pinsuntil said toggles break slightly downwardly thus causing said bitingprojection to bite into said wooden stringer to firmly fix theconnections of each of said pairs of legs to said stringer. stringer.